Racists on both sides of aisle

To the editor:

Eliot Engel has been a congressman since 1989, and although he has a primary opponent this year (whom I’m sure just about everyone reading this paper can’t name), he will, in all probability, win another well-deserved term of office by a landslide.

But the congressman did not always have it so easy. And I will now tell you about a primary against Mr. Engel that was strictly racist in nature, and orchestrated by the most influential Democratic Party racist (and extortionist) of this era, the Rev. Al Sharpton, who was most recently President Obama’s advisor on race relations.

In 2000, Eliot Engel, an incumbent congressman who had well represented this community for almost 12 years, was unexpectedly denied the endorsement of the Bronx County Democratic organization, then controlled by Roberto Ramirez. The Village Voice first broke the following story.

Sharpton (who is black) and Ramirez (who is Puerto Rican) made the following deal: Ramirez and his organization would influence Hispanic voters to vote for Sharpton’s candidate, Larry Seabrook, in the congressional primary in 2000 against the white Jewish Eliot Engel. 

(Incidentally, Seabrook was recently released from prison after serving a five-year sentence for corruption).

In return, Sharpton and his organization would influence black voters to vote for Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, in the 2001 Democratic primary for mayor, against the white Jewish Mark Green. Fortunately, neither succeeded. Both Eliot Engel and Mark Green won their respective primaries.

The reason I’m writing this letter is to point out that racism does not only exist among Republicans, it absolutely exists among Democrats, with the most prominent and influential Democratic proponent of racism being Al Sharpton.

Many younger readers of this paper may be unaware of Mr. Sharpton’s racist and anti-Semitic history, including his involvement in the Crown Heights riot, and the Freddie’s Fashion Mart arson, as well as slurs like “white interlopers” and “Diamond merchants.” They can Google “Al Sharpton” on Wikipedia for a more complete background on this “holy” man.

Besides being a racist, Sharpton is also a legal extortionist. He heads an organization called the National Action Network that has the power to bring out mobs of people to picket and harass businesses, major corporations and individuals at their homes. 

These businesses and individuals then make “donations” to NAN, and lo and behold, the picketing stops. 

Is this a coincidence? You be the judge.

Yet, this racist and “extortionist” individual (and I’ll skip over his episodes of tax evasion) is time and again eagerly sought out by Democratic candidates who flock down to his headquarters to kiss his behind and pay homage to this sleaze bag.

So, keep in mind, that he next time Democratic Party supporters want to accuse Republicans of racism, that the Democrats have the “LeBron James of Racism,” Al Sharpton, on its side of the ledger.

Case closed!

Alvin Gordon